[nfbmi-talk] hint on joint statement metro airport

[joe harcz Comcast]

Here is the joint statement of this so-called settlement. Does anyone see some issues? Hint, is the video and similar visually based systems accessible to a blind traveler?

 

Are the signs mentioned here accessable to us?

 

For that matter are any of the kiosks in the airport accessable and independently usable for blind travelers?

 

 

Joe

 

 

 

News 

Release 

 Media contacts: 

WCAA: Michael Conway 734-942-3558 

Nyman Turkish PC: Jason Turkish 855-527-6668 

Michigan Flyer: Mark Holoweiko 517-881-4460 

   Settlement reached in airport bus stop case 

 DETROIT (October 17, 2014): Wayne County Airport Authority (WCAA) has reached 

a settlement with Michael Harris and Karla Hudson, the plaintiffs, in the legal action 

arising from WCAA’s decision to move the pick-up and drop-off location for Michigan 

Flyer, AirRide and the SMART bus at the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan 

Airport (DTW). 

 Motor coaches providing public transportation to and from the terminal were relocated 

September 22, 2014 from the International Arrivals curb to the Ground Transportation 

Center (GTC), across the street, where all other ground transportation providers operate. 

The agreement calls for these buses to stay in the GTC, while, in turn, the Airport 

Authority agrees to make customer service enhancements to that area. 

 “We are pleased to work in a spirit of cooperation with representatives of the plaintiffs, as 

well as Michigan Flyer, to reach a consensus we all accept,” said WCAA CEO Thomas 

Naughton. “This is a great example of reasonable people working together to create a 

safer and more customer-friendly environment.” 

 Modifications to the GTC include providing an indoor information counter for the service 

providers. WCAA will reconfigure the motor coach parking positions, enhance bus 

shelters and signage to improve passenger flow, and provide an on-site phone with a 

direct connection to passenger assistance. 

 “On behalf of Michael Harris and Karla Hudson, two extraordinary individuals and 

leaders within the disability rights community, I am delighted to report that the parties 

have reached an agreement on improvements at the Ground Transportation Center to 

make it convenient, more accessible, and safer for everyone,” said Attorney Jason 

Turkish of Nyman Turkish PC, Lead Counsel for the plaintiffs. “After gaining the 

support of hundreds of Michiganders, and the Attorney General, this lawsuit will end 

with everyone a winner, and the airport can now be a beacon of pride for accessibility 

and inclusion in Southeastern Michigan.” 

 “Michigan Flyer is pleased with the agreement,” said Chad Cushman, Vice-President of 

Business for Indian Trails, Inc., the parent company of Michigan Flyer. “We commend 

Detroit Metropolitan Airport for doing the right thing for all of our mutual passengers, 

and especially the elderly and those with disabilities. It’s important to note that our 

passengers will soon enjoy a comfortable, climate-controlled, indoor waiting area in the 

McNamara Terminal’s Ground Transportation Center, with accessible phones, restrooms, 

drinking fountains and other amenities nearby. They’ll also have a live, video information 

system that lets them know when our motor coaches are about to arrive at the GTC, as 

well as full-service assistance for anyone who needs help getting to or from our stop. We 

look forward to continue providing reliable, quality ground transportation service for 

our customers between East Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Detroit Metro Airport.” 

  “For us, this was always about customer safety,” said Naughton. “We are comfortable 

that the GTC enhancements, to which we have all agreed, maintain a safe environment 

for our customers.” 

  ##### 

 Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) welcomed more than 32 million passengers in 2013 

and is one of the world’s leading air transportation hubs. With service from 13 scheduled passenger 

airlines, Michigan’s largest airport offers more than 1,100 flights per day to and from nearly 150 non-stop 

destinations on four continents. In 2010, DTW ranked highest in overall customer satisfaction among large 

airports in the J.D. Power and Associates North America Airport Satisfaction Study. With two award-

winning passenger terminals, six jet runways, and an onsite AAA Four-Diamond Westin Hotel, DTW is 

among the world’s most efficient, customer friendly and operationally capable airports in North America. 

DTW is operated by Wayne County Airport Authority, which also operates nearby Willow Run Airport—

an important corporate, cargo and general aviation facility. The Airport Authority is entirely self-

sustaining and does not receive tax dollars to support airport operations. Visit www.metroairport.com for 

more information.   NR Public trans to GTC Sep 2014

 

Source for active links:

   Settlement reached in airport bus stop case